In Narragansett (and elsewhere in Rhode Island), the effects of Hurricane Sandy can be seen along the coast in flooded buildings, torn seawalls, washed out roads and beaches, and eroded bluffs. Though the damage was not as much as in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, had the hurricane not taken a left turn, it might have caused damage that would have rivaled the legendary Hurricane of 1938, which is THE storm that all others are measured by in Narragansett Bay.
Many articles were written about the hurricane hitting the northeastern US. Two articles about damage in Rhode Island are provided here: one from a local online newspaper source - Hearst-owned Newspapers around Danbury, CT, and one from Channel 10 in Providence.
Since the impact was in New Jersey, and, therefore, most of the damage was seen in this area, little attention was given to Rhode Island, even in nearby Boston. However, Sandy's storm surge and winds left damage all along the coast in Narragansett Bay.
The articles documented the damage right after the hurricane passed.
The NewsTimes.com site had this concerning the Naragansett area:
"Coastal communities from the Watch Hill section of Westerly to Newport were hard hit by Sandy, which brought with it pounding surf that wiped away beaches, punched through seawalls and flooded homes and businesses. High winds did their worst further inland, where trees fell on homes, cars and power lines, knocking out electricity to a quarter of the state's residents...
...The National Weather Service says preliminary data showed Sandy was the fifth-highest crest on record at Fox Point in Providence, at the top of Narragansett Bay, at 9.5 feet Monday night. The highest point on record was during the 1938 hurricane, when the water crested at 17.4 feet."
The article has specific locations where damage was reported, including Roy Carpenter's Beach in South Kingstown and two areas around Westerly, RI. These are a bit further away - if visited, I'll add my observations.
The Channel 10 article had this concerning this area:
"...a hurricane, then a post-tropical storm, Sandy on Monday brought howling winds, damaging storm surge and left more than 100,000 Southern New Englanders without power.
As of 11 p.m. [10/30/2012], National Grid reported that more than 119,000 were without power in Rhode Island, and 26,400 in Bristol County, Mass. NSTAR reported more than 138,000 customers were without power...
...Many areas reported street flooding including Conimicut Point in Warwick, Wickford Village in North Kingstown, as well as parts of Cranston, Providence and Westerly.
Statewide, the storm knocked down dozens of trees, downed power lines and made some roads impassable hours before it was expected to reach peak intensity.
In South Kingstown, the pounding surf took a heavy toll on beachfront property, leaving part of the cottage community at Roy Carpenter's Beach looking like a warzone. Three cottages were washed away and another was left teetering.
Up the shore, trailers at Mary Carpenter's Beach were nearly submerged as the ocean crossed the road and filled the park with water and debris.
In Narragansett, the Coast Guard House restaurant took a beating with waves blowing out windows and leaving the inside a mess. Police also worked to clear fallen trees and direct traffic around downed power lines...
...In Providence, the Army Corps of Engineers closed the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier to stop an expected storm surge from flooding the capital city's downtown...
...State officials could not say how many people had evacuated. Shelters were set up in several communities Sunday night, but officials indicated they were not being heavily used...
...Amtrak trains canceled Northeast Corridor services again Tuesday. T.F. Green Airport was open, but virtually every flight scheduled after noon Monday was canceled. Ports were closed to vessel traffic...
...Nearly 400,000 electric customers around the state were without power on Monday night. Patrick said utilities expected to step up restoration efforts when the strongest winds subside."
At the date of visit, 11/3/2012, much had already been cleaned up in area from Narragansett Center to Point Judith. The most visible damage was around the former U.S. Coast Guard House, which is occupied by a restaurant (well, was). Also, just to the south and north, the seawall was badly damaged and breached in a few places. At the time of visit, cranes were busy dumping rocks around the twin towers and the U.S. Coast Guard House. The USCG tower was boarded up. Further south, at Point Judith, the 20 ft embankment has been scoured, with benches in ruins on the rocks below. Between the two locations, the main road had just been opened, but you could see piles of sand on either side that had been pushed off the road.
Another report heard was that further up the bay, in Wickford, the water surged into the downtown section, flooding the streets. However, the level reached there wasn't even close to the level marked by a plaque at the corner of a building. That level was set by the Hurricane of '38.
Other Source:
Channel 10, Providence (Sandy Pounds Southern RI):
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visit link)